The Akua'ba was carved from a specific type of wood called osese (Funtumia Africana). This is a light wood, both in weight and color, and easy to carve. The statue is later colored black by adding a dark dye to it. This is also clearly visible in some places, where the color layer is partially worn off and the light wood color shines through. Osese wood has advantages for cutters using simple hand tools, it is not only quite soft but also uniform in texture, straight in grain and free of knots and lumps. This wood was very popular with Asante carvers because of its light color and ability to achieve a smooth finish.